Great meal, great close to 5 weeks in Prague

Last night our study abroad program treated us to a farewell dinner. Now, we were expecting a typical Czech cuisine, and weren't nearly prepared for the feast we enjoyed. Our group walked through the cobblestone streets of Prague one last time and into this fancy and colorfully atmosphered Brazilian restaurant. There was a fantastic salad bar with more exotic fruits, vegetables, pastas, soups, and cheese than I have ever experienced. We filled our plates to almost overflowing (and they were very large plates I might add) with food from the salad bar, and took them back to our table. Well, as soon as we sat down delicious bread, cheese balls, rice and beans, and french fries arrived. At this point we were wishing we had not eaten anything at all during the day because the meal was so huge. As if this isn't enough, waiters started arriving with meat on stakes and they carved each person slices of pork, lamb, beef, different kinds of pork, chicken, turkey, salmon and other fish, and so much more. I never knew so much meat existed! They were seasoned perfectly and had delicious flavor. Next came the fried bananas- and probably my favorite part of the meal. Sooo yummy! Dessert was grilled pineapple and by this point I could barely breathe. Yes, gluttony at its best (worst?). I stocked up on my share of veggies, fruits, and meats that I had sorely been deprived of for the past several weeks in one meal. Seriously. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. I sat next to Christie and Nick which proved to be great company. Our tour guide and program director also sat at our table and it was a pleasure to share our last meal together. Teddy and I left early because we had a train to catch at 11:05 pm... sooo we bundled together our luggage (significantly heavier and more abundant... a whole new bag even) and walked to our tram ride and on to the train station. Wow we felt like we were training for boot camp with our huge packs, backpacks, bags, and groceries walking up and down stairs in 85 degree weather. We finally got on the train and it proved to be a very unrestful sleep even with a sleeper. Our train arrived to Vienna two hours late which means we missed our train to Venice and won't be able to arrive in Venice until 11:00 pm tonight... grrrrr. Well, God is still Sovereign and Holy and good and now we have 7 hours to be in a train station in Vienna. Reservations missed, and Teddy has to wait a few more days to see Brian. This is the most current update possible, seeing as though I have wandered down the street to an internet cafe and am trying to be resourceful with my time. Aside from the details, I'm looking forward to Italy and have been truly blessed by my time in Prague. I'm glad to move on to new things... and home is looking pretty good right now. Enjoy a free public bathroom, free shopping carts, free mustard and condiments, showers that are sufficient in size, nonfat milk, fresh vegetables, and the pedestrian right-of-way for me... pleasures in America not to be found elsewhere at the moment :)

The nightlife in Prague and farewell...

Well today marks the last day of our stay in Prague. At 11:00pm tonight, Christie and I will board a train for 14 hours on our way to Venice, Italy and then on to Rome. In one week I will be home... More to say about that, but for now, I must make mention of the night life in Prague...

Last night was the first night that Christie and I really went "out," meaning at 11:00pm we left our dorm to go dancing/clubbing. Most of our group did this every night, but I'm not much of a late night person I guess so I waited until the last night to go ;). Prague is famous for its nightlife, and rightly so.

We went to the largest club in Central Europe that housed five stories of different types of music and themes. The movie Triple X has a scene from this very club. Needless to say, it was a really fun experience. We danced for almost 4 hours straight! The music was pretty great on the hip hop level, and I must say... the hip hop class that Jackie and I took during Spring Quarter definately paid off... haha. There were tons of people, and many of them Americans. I think the club we went to was probably very touristy since it's quite famous. It was a really great experience, but I'm glad I waited until the end to do it... too much money and not enough sleep.

Well I have to go now, I will write as soon as possible!

Back to Bonhoeffer

Today I did one of my most favorite things in the wide world (diction influenced by my viewing of Forrest Gump a few weeks ago)... I went to a cafe with the deliberate intention of spending time in the Word. So I ordered my nonfat raspberry mocha frappe and black forrest cherry cake at Coffee Heaven (similar to Starbucks but better, and yes you heard that from me) and sat down to continue my journey through Romans.

I couldn't get past Romans 12:1,2 "Therefore I urge you bretheren, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." I feel like this is one of those scripture references that are used all the time and is rich with meaning, but since it is used so often I tend to sometimes brush over it when reading Romans 12. At the same time, it's been a powerful verse in my faith journey and during an AIM session at Calvin Crest I really took it to heart and decided to follow Jesus with my life, dying to myself and allowing Christ to live in me. At the moment I'm not sure which session it was... but I know I read it in front of the staff on the last day. Ok sorry for the sidetrack. Back to today. I was really blown away by the magnitude and the implications of this verse and felt that I just couldn't do it. I wrote in my journal: how, what? There are obvious patterns of the world, and there are less obvious. The less obvious are often the most detrimental to the soul. And at the same time, God how does this happen daily? I mean, really? I'm on vacation in Europe for 6 weeks and my deepest desire is to serve my God and to love Him and His people... and though I can possibly see this verse played out in the smaller details of the day, is that all there is to it? I think sometimes yes, and I think sometimes there's more. Naturally, because I am who I am, I wanted more. I had packed my Cost of Discipleship in my backpack this morning though I hadn't read it since my entry regarding it a few weeks ago and at this moment I felt led to pick it up again. So I did... and it led me on an amazing journey.

First let's deal with the legalism factor. Bonhoeffer notes that sometimes the worst case of legalism is the sake of ignoring a command because of fear of legalism. Case in point, let's move on. I journeyed through 4 chapters full of truth and struggle and meaning. The reading got so good that I had to order a small nonfat sugarfree vanilla latte and biscotti (p.s. there is nothing better than dipping biscotti into a hot coffee drink; It reminds me of grandma because she makes homemade biscotti that is to die for) to tie me over while I sat and read for a couple hours. I think that for now I will not share all of the things I got from Bonhoeffer because there is much and I don't think I can explain it all in one sitting. My complicated and tired little brain is still processing stuff from this morning and I'd rather not explain it all just now. However, if you want to know more, I'm an open book and will willingly share with you. I will share with you one quote for now that resonates with me before I go further into my day. "Doubt and reflection take the place of spontaneous obedience. The grown-up man with his freedom of conscious haunts his superiority over the child of obedience." Considering I analyze everything and its mother that comes my way and will often follow it to doubt, this one hit home. I wrote a ridiculous amount of Bonhoeffer's words in my journal today, so I can't share them all. But let's keep going ok?

Lunch time. Since this is my free day to do whatever the heck I want, I meandered through the cobblestone streets of Prague with David Crowder's All I Can Say album playing in my headphones and windowshopped for a while. I crossed the Charles Bridge and took in the sights of street peddlers, mass amounts of people, the gorgeous (but fake) river, and the castle in the background. When I felt like my belly was ready to eat again (I didn't want to be gluttonous so I had to give myself some rest before I went on my way to the next stop :)), I walked to Bohemia Bagel and got myself vegetable soup and a multi-corn bagel for only 55 crowns (roughly 2 US dollars). Back to Bonhoeffer again because I knew God wasn't done with my day, and as I write this now at 5:05 I know He still isn't done. Well the next couple chapters talked about suffering and bearing the cross of Jesus, and dealt very much with the Romans verse. I started getting a little frustrated as I often do because I get impatient and sometimes think for some reason that I can dictate my own faith journey and it's up to me to suffer and not God... all lies by the way. And then my thoughts wandered to a year ago... Ok, if you haven't read the Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer speaks of the call to follow Jesus... to take up the cross and share in His sufferings, and then a call to trust (He uses Peter a lot as an example - the call to follow and the call to walk on water). I'm going to do a terrible job at summarizing and therefore I think I will refrain from doing so at the time being, but I will share with you what struck my heart and allowed me to see the moment in which I was called to share in His sufferings. The actual event was the breakup that I was called to and then to see that it was a road of harsh brokenness and a time where sometimes I couldn't see anything but darkness and I couldn't understand that God was crying with me. I knew He was there and I knew it was divinely appointed by Him, but it was dark nonetheless. These were my thoughts as I read today...
And now I know you cried with me.
I drank the cup of suffering and it was bitter.
You, my God, I had believed to have forsaken me.
Yet when I drank that cup you drank it with me.
Jesus' agony in the Garden and His cry became my cry.
"Let this cup pass from me, yet not my will but yours."
It was a glimpse of the cross and I carried it.
And it was triumphant, Lord.
I cried for your victory and you received it.
It was not mine to gain nor was it mine to determine, but you, my God, ordained it and through it I became your disciple.
This was the very act of grace that made me fall to my feet in adoration to my King.
Blessed Be Your Name.

Bonhoeffer writes, "To go one's way under the sign of the cross is not misery and desperation, but peace and refreshment for the soul, it is the highest joy." He was a wise man. I remember feeling the greatest joy I had ever known as I went through that trial and to see the outcome as a triumph over suffering. Jesus had to suffer on the cross before He sat at the right hand of God
because it was God's will. And we, as disciples, will be called to similar trials as God's grace will determine.

I am off to write some more on top of Petrin Hill. But, I had a deep urge to blog before I left to do so, and sometimes I don't understand myself, but then again, I'm not meant to. One of my favorite verses is Philemon 6, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." That's why I write to you now. It's a scary thing to be vulnerable in writing on a website that many people look at... but when the Spirit leads, you can't ignore and so I pray that you will be encouraged in the faith when you read this. Blessings.
In truth and grace,
Anička

From dekuju to gratzi to merci...

Where to start when describing such an incredible weekend? I'll just start with the beginning and take you through one of the most phenomenal weekends of my entire life. In Paris...

We started out Friday morning at 5:00am in the Czech Republic and promptly flew to Milan, Italy for a 2 hour layover and then on to our final destination, Paris. In the course of one day we found ourselves saying "thank you" in three different foreign languages (thus the title) and all I can say now is "thank you" to God for blessing us so abundantly in the past few days.

On arrival to Paris, Christie and I took the Metro to the St. Michel/Notre Dame stop just to explore. We walked up the steps and there was the Notre Dame. Majestic as it was we stood in awe of our surroundings. After looking around for a few moments we found a park bench and picnicked with peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, cheese, and crackers right next to Charlemagne. Violins played on a street corner nearby, people walked around with ice cream cones, and birds were everywhere. Surreal. After our lunch, we walked around a bit with our packs on our backs and fell in love with the sights of Paris. We got so excited as we walked through the Latin Quarter (built in the 14th century and housed education facilities, students, and now numerous shops and cafes and gorgeous historical buildings) we just hugged each other and squealed because it was that amazing. We walked and walked and walked and oohed and aahed for a few hours. We were supposed to meet up with 4 other girls from our trip and had a cell phone number of one of the girls. However, the calls never went through and we couldn't get a hold of them. Thus... we were homeless and carrying really heavy backpacks on our backs. We decided to hold out and try them a little later in the evening and we trekked to the Eiffel Tower. Amazing. Instead of going up that night, we decided to hold out for the next night. We were starving at this point so we picnicked again in front of the Eiffel Tower in the middle of a huge, gorgeous park where French troops once trained. After dinner and another attempt to reach the girls we started looking for a place to stay. What an adventure we found ourselves in! We started hotel hopping and checking out room availability and rates. Teddy developed a really great way of telling our story and evoking sympathy from the receptionists which always brought the price down almost 50 Euros or more. Still, it was rather pricy for our budget and we kept walking. Finally we found a hotel (Hotel Studia) that would give us two nights (breakfast included) for 57 a night. Not bad considering the location and circumstances! On to the room... And what a room it was! Two beds, a sink, a closet, a cute balcony, and where the heck is the toilet and shower?! The toilet we found two floors below us at the end of the hall and the shower? Well, there was another sink for us to use that was lower to the ground. Roughing it in Paris... and time for spit baths! :) Needless to say we were exhausted and soon fell fast asleep... And that was day one. Hang in there, I'll try to make this worth your reading! ;)

Saturday morning we woke up for a morning run... through a history book! We ran by churches established in teh 13th century, hotels, gov't buildings, colleges, etc. that were all centuries old! Teddy was the one who exclaimed "it's like we're running through a history book!" and she was so right. I remembered names and events from my European history class, (the Monday night 3-4 hour killer classes that I dreaded each week) and then I could see the buildings in person. It's quite different to see history that you've studied and know well compared to history that has no interest because you don't know about it... so this history was exciting to me. After our run we ate a breakfast of great coffee, baguettes, and croissants (so healthy I know). Next it was time to hit the Louvre... Yes, the Louvre. We walked along the river and found ourselves in an enchanting art museum that houses the Mona Lisa and other famous pieces. The art collection is so huge that it would take days to see everything. I saw incredible paintings, and most of them had historical meaning that I could interpret and understand (these are Italian painters by the way). I saw images from the French Revolution, the black death, the Crusades, Bible times, and of course the Mona Lisa. I could have spent a few days there, but time didn't allow and our tummies were famished. Christie and I have discovered the merit of sharing meals... half the price and half the portion! Our wallets and our bodies will thank us! We split a chocolate croissant and baguette sandwhich for lunch on another park bench and satisfied our appetites. On to the next event... shopping on the Champs Elysee! We walked for a very long time through parks with fountains, statues, old fashioned lamposts, ice cream stands, music, and trees... and yes it was amazing. The Champs Elysee is the most famous avenue in Paris and would be similar to Rodeo Drive in LA. We went shopping and found a fairly inexpensive boutique to build our European wardrobe. We had a great time! We visited the Arc de Triumph (sp and title?) and then went back to the Latin Quarter to eat a French dinner and crepe for dessert. Ahh so much in one day but we weren't finished! After our meal, Teddy and I played European dress up and got ready for the Eiffel Tower. We met another traveler on the way and visited with our new friend George (from Canada) on the Metro and all the way to the top of the Tower! Christie is holding out until she and her boyfriend return to Paris to go up the Eiffel Tower so George and I went by ourselves. It was fun to have a companion! The view from the Eiffel Tower was amazing of course, but I think the most incredible part is the view of the Tower itself at nighttime because it glows and sparkles like no other! I should add that they had closed access to the top of the Tower due to it being overcrowded and didn't reopen it until the very person in front of me! That meant that I could go to the top and to the top I went! A must for any Parisian travelor!

Wow I am only on Sunday, and I'm trying to be brief but there is so much to include!!! Well, Sunday, as you are probably aware, was the day Lance Armstrong won his seventh Tour de France... and I was able to see it in person! The Tour de France would be an international equivalent to the Super Bowl but it is free of charge and standing room only! During the 6 hours of standing we snacked on brie, baguettes, and fruit - yumm! We wound up with a great spot right next to the road and near 5 other Americans! In fact, one couple, from San Louis Obispo, were visiting because the husband had participated in the ameatur portion of the Tour, so we got a ton of great inside explanation! We saw Lance ride by 16 times (along with the other cyclists of course) because the last stage is a loop and we saw them ride in both directions. It was so amazing to see it live and to see him get his award and hear his speech and listen to the national anthem... all live. By the way, if Phillip Green ever reads this, I thought of you and am so grateful for your diligence in making the Tour a part of summer staff at Calvin Crest! I felt so informed and that much more appreciative because P-Hill always gives the staff thorough updates on the Tour and how Lance is doing ... so thank you thank you thank you! :) After the Tour was over, it was time to find our hostel that we had booked for Sunday night. It was supposed to be near the airport, only there are two airports in Paris (as I just discovered) and our hostel was at the opposite end of the airport we were to take back to Prague. Hmmm oh well! After a ton of hiking (that's what it seemed like because we crossed rivers, railroad tracks, and went around in circles with our packs on), we finaly arrived at our hostel that was literally located on a residential street in the midst of Parisian homes. It would be like finding a hostel on the street I live in at home... bizarre but really cool. The hostel was very accomodating and enjoyable...

Monday means I'm almost back to Prague so it will be brief! We ate only French food on Monday including a croaquette monsieur (?), bread with chocolate chips, baguettes, creme brulee, and chocolate glace... SO YUMMY!!! We also visited the Notre Dame and went inside for a brief visit. A few stops in tourist shops and we were on our way back to Milan, and then Prague where we once again spoke three different languages in a day. By the way, I learned that I picked up French much quicker than Czech and am excited to learn Italian. One last thing before I sign off and head to my last class... I would like to dispell any rumors/myths that I once heard that the French were rude and snobby to Americans and tourists. We found the exact oppposite to be true and we were pleasantly surprised by the accomodating nature of the French. More than once we were asked if we needed help by a local on the street, and the service was delightful. We conversed with people on the Metro and though there was a language barrier, the laughter said it all. All in all it was a fantastic time. I know this was a lengthy post but thank you for sticking with me and thank you all for your emails and encouragement! I love hearing from you and getting input from those who view my blog. Much love to you all!

Arvoir! (sorry I totally butchered that spelling but I'm in a hurry)

Uh Tour de France anyone?

Today began as any normal day would. Christie and I woke up just in time to make it to breakfast and we sat down with some other girls from our program. As usual, weekend excursions/plans were discussed amongst us. Teddy and I had planned to go rock climbing this weekend if weather permitted, but something much cooler came our way... 4 girls booked flights for Paris this weekend and had found an apartment quite near the Eiffel Tower for 100.00 per person the entire three nights. The kicker? The Tour ends on Sunday and they planned to watch it from Paris. Well as soon as Christie and I discovered this, we had to jump on board so we immediately said a prayer and went to the program's office to try and book a flight. There's no way we could pass up this opportunity.

Soooo we looked online for about an hour until we found round trip tickets for only 250.00 (pretty amazing considering we are leaving tomorrow morning and the other girls are payin much more). The apartment will only cost us roughly 70.00 for the entire three nights (yet it's private, roomy, central, and nice), and we plan to eat a few meals on the plane (hey it's free food). All in all a very good deal. We booked our tickets, booked room and board... and tomorrow morning we are traveling to Paris for four days where we will get to see Lance finish the Tour (and see the Eiffel Tower and eat chocolate croissants). Yup. Needless to say, Christie and I keep pinching ourselves because this opportunity just doesn't come often! Next week? Venice and Rome...

If only money grew on trees... We've run into a few problems with booking things online and money issues so we're praying that it will work out, and learning to trust God with things that are out of our hands (even when we've maticulously budgeted). Also praying that money concerns would not place a damper on our trip here and that we would be good stewards of what God has given us. Keep us in your prayers! Hello to everyone back home, I'll say hi to Lance for you!!! Much love!

Sunrise on the Charles Bridge

Ever since arriving in Prague and first walking across the famous Charles Bridge, Christie and I have wanted to wake up early and watch the sunrise from the bridge. We decided this morning was as good as any and woke up at 4:40am (hello reminders of opening shifts at Starbucks) to catch the first tram at 5am. Unfortunately, the cloud cover was so dense that we were unable to see a clear sunrise. Furthermore, the sun didn't rise where it was supposed to- well at least where we thought it should rise ;)... so we kind of missed it. At 6:30 we were tired and cold so we trecked through town in attempts to find an open coffee shop. Not gonna happen. After an hour of walking we finally came across a hotel that would serve us coffee (and absolutely nothing else). The place we had intended to eat breakfast at didn't open until 9:00am so we had some time to kill. For an hour and a half we talked...

We talked about school, high school, teachers, teaching, future, subjects that interested us, and subjects that no longer itnerest us. Once again I learned about myself while talking with Teddy. It was good to go back to high school for a moment and reflect on the education that helped shape my interests now... and also to see how much I've changed since then. For instance, our high school has a kick butt history department and I loved U.S. history (still do...). However, our english department is sorely lacking and I couldn't stand my english classes in high school. I discover all the time how much I missed out in my english education (i.e.- I learned just this past quarter what an onomatopoeia is and Christie learned this in 5th grade). I'm an english minor now and love reading lit and writing). Who knew? Also, I'm discovering more and more that I really don't like much history other than colonial America, WWI & WWII, and early Church history (Specifically 1st-4th centuries). Hmm. Not sure what to do about that but I'm not going to pretend to love something I don't.

One more thing. I'm trying too hard in my faith. There are moments when my perfectionism intertwines itself too closely with my spiritual walk and though I may speak of grace and freedom and the abundant life, I'm not truly living it. This morning while Teddy and I talked, I realized more and more that I've got to let stuff go and live in freedom. For some reason I've been clinging to Christian literature and music as my sources of reading and entertainment. Ok now before you ask yourself why this can be harmful, let me explain. My heart has not been in a place lately where I have done this in freedom. It freakishly became a "religious" thing rather than a will of the heart to grow healthily. I'd stopped dreaming and stopped using my imagination (and believe me, I'm a dreamer)... stuff about my future and life looked bleak rather than exciting. In the last week or so my faith developed an uptight regiment and was lived out in a way that was not fulfilling or abundant. Scary how religion, when done for the sake of religion, closely reflects the Pharisaic tendency. Through my Jesus of Nazareth class and Environment of Early Christians class I learned about the motif beyond the Pharisees holiness codes. The Pharisees genuinely believed they were obeying the Priestly codes daily in response to God's grace. Yet when done for the sake of religion, legalism and self-righteousness become the enemy of Jesus' ministry. I'm not saying that the actions in and of themselves are bad or wrong... I'm advocating a life of freedom to live in the redemptive love and grace of Jesus Christ. Sometimes this means I need to step away from Bonhoeffer and read Jane Eyre instead. The Word must be constant in my life, but because of my flagrant tendency to read too deeply into the meaning of books or authors or what have you... it's time to put down the Christian lit and enjoy some of the classics. Hopefully this makes sense. I'm still trying to make sense of it myself and it's possible that tomorrow I will have new things to say. Faith is a process and I'm living in the midst of it now.

Love and peace to you all

p.s. tomorrow Christie and I are planning our ideal day number one. We have an entire day to do whatever we feel like without any obligations. Next Wednesday is the same so we decided to have two "ideal" days... meaning two days to plan our perfect day... because we can. :) I'll fill you in on the exciting details soon!
p.s.s. We get to go rock climbing outside Prague with our history professor. How tight is that?

On Top of Petrin Hill

Today we went to the top of the hill... and by that I mean a steep hike uphill with switchbacks (until we discovered the tram halfway up and after we were sweating profusely) that led to a gorgeous place overlooking the city of Prague. Cosby recommended that I go to "the hill" in Prague, and I am assuming this is the place he told me about. There were gorgeous rose gardens, white benches, trees, trails, and a kickbutt view of Prague. We stayed on top for a few hours to read/study/listen/pray... to seek God. I have never had so much free time in my life to devote to God and to prayer, to read good books, to sit and listen to music, to observe and reflect... The pace of life is much slower and I have miniscule responsibilities for school (basically attending class is the extent of my devotion to school at the moment). I am learning alot about myself... my struggles, my fears, my passions, my weaknesses, and my strengths. And God... God is huge, and the evidence of His love and grace and truth in my life is huge.

At three o'clock today Christie and I broke a 24 hour fast with communion on top of the Hill. I've never fasted before except for the 30 hour famine with the junior highers at First Pres. Many times I thought I should fast, but felt my motives were off and that my heart was not in it for the right reasons. Both Teddy and I felt individually led to fast during our trip, and we both agreed it was a good time to do it. The best way to learn about fasting is to do it... and Jesus told his disciples to fast and to pray... so we decided to do it. I'm hesitant to blog this because I don't want it at all to sound self-righteous, legalistic, or spiritually pious. We just did it, and as a part of my experiences in Prague, fasting was one of them. Ultimately, in the final hour of our fast, we realized that it was for God's glory and none of our own that we should fast. It was an act of worship. Sure I orginally had hoped to learn amazing things about what God has planned for me and to receive a call of some sort (that's sometimes what I think of when I think of fasting), but in the end I learned once again, that it's not about me. It's just not. It's about worshiping and loving the Father and loving each other. Christie and I, in an act of Christian sisterhood, served each other communion and prayed for each other. Our meal? Wine in an empty soda bottle and a plain bagel from Bohemia Bagel :) And with those elements, we remembered Jesus.

We also discussed the purpose of fasting and the necessity of it in our Spiritual journey with Christ. Jesus did it, He called His disciples to do it, and yet it is often not mentioned in the Church today. I wonder why and I wonder about it's relevance today. I think fasting is something that comes along with having a daily quiet time... if done without a heart of worship and praise, it runs along the lines of legalism and self-righteous piety. Yet both are disciplines necessary for the disciple of Jesus. I'm learning a lot about disciplines and where the line is drawn between discipline, legalism, self-righteousness, grace, and cheap grace. I'm also reading Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and it's rocking my world. Maybe there are points in the disciple's life when the acceptance of grace is so sure that true worship may be performed in daily disciplines. I'm learning and thinking and questioning a lot about the direction of my faith. It is good for me to be here. Redemption, grace, and freedom in Christ must always be present. May the peace of Christ be our guidance...

p.s. remember to check Christie's blog because she is a very thorough and thoughtful writer (unlike my scattered and quick writing) and will give you another perspective of our journey. I enjoy her writing and learn a lot from her heart. She's a sister.

My email address

I know my blog doesn't have my email address on here, so if you'd like to email me- I'd LOVE to hear from you. I miss out on hearing about your lives... and if you don't know how to comment or would like to write me, email me at annecb84@ucla.edu :)

I heart Vienna!

Feeling more and more like a world travelor these days... About an hour ago we returned from a magnificent weekend in Vienna, Austria. I fell in love with the culture, the music on the streets, yummy desserts (a famous chocolate torte even - and I'll be honest, I like my chocolate cake better), the shopping, many museums, glorious parks (for real- they're amazing), statues placed strategically throughout the city, and cherry beer. ;) We spent a lot of time walking around (and that in and of itself is an understatement) the city. Vienna is a little bit classier than Prague which was fun for a weekend, but also more expensive.

On Friday night I discovered that I am beginning to dislike group tours of cities. I would much rather explore on my own... and I am even getting bored with the history. Oh blasphemous I know, and I feel like a traitor to my major- but wow... I'm just tired of hearing about rulers and their palaces. Sorry to sound cynical and ignorant, but there's only so many castles and churches you can look at. They start running together in my mind... Soooo this weekend Teddy and I decided to ditch the optional 3 hour walking tour of the city on Saturday morning and its historical sights, and ride bikes around Vienna instead. Yes. This was a good idea with great intentions. However, it ended up leading into a three hour wild goose chase to find those darn bikes and we finally decided we'd seen enough of the city without the bikes. However, it was a fantastic three hours because we got Starbucks, giggled alot, and saw much of the city on foot (including live musical performances all over the streets... beautiful). Ahh freedom! Later in the day we went on a shopping excursion (our first on this trip) and purchased some fun European clothing items. After a couple hours of shopping we hitailed it back to the hotel to get ready for a ballet! Let's be honest, watching a ballet in Vienna is necessary. A group of girls stood in line for an hour to purchase our student tickets and we went to the ballet. The performances were slightly modern and unique... such talent! After the ballet we met up with most of our group to hang out in one of Vienna's fine parks. Today we woke up early to try the famous chocolate torte at 9:45 in the morning. It's really never too early to eat chocolate cake in my opinion. After a few more quick stops in the city, our bus was off to Empress Maria Theresa's palace - complete with Europe's oldest zoo, a hedge maze, magnificent gardens, palace tours, and more famous dessert: the Viennese apple streudal. As I mentioned earlier, I'm getting sort of over the palaces, castles, and other historical sites, so Christie and a few other people opted to go to the zoo, gardens, and eat the streudal. The zoo was quite entertaining and beautiful. Christie and her boyfriend really like penguins, and being their 23 month anniversary today, Christie was quite excited to see the penguins. Honestly it was worth it just to see the smile on her face when she saw the funny little creatures dive into the pond. We ran (literally) to the stredual place just before we had to leave and ordered two warm apple streudals to go. Oh my goodness. Pure bliss. That's all I have to say about that. Just a whole lot of goodness! Yummm! We then boarded our bus for a four hour bus ride and we are back in Prague. I'm quite tired, a little bit flustered, and not really paying attention to my writing. Sorry if it's confusing... it's time to go to bed early! Tomorrow I hope for good God time and relaxation... oh and a pro soccer game in the evening! Pray for me. It's hump week for me here- and though I'm not working, in ministry, or really going to school, the monotany of life here is starting to wear on me a bit. I'm missing my family and community... the fellowship and worship. I'm so thankful to have Christie with me! Oh! I also discovered another sister in Christ on our trip! I suspected but it was confirmed today. I love how God places His body of believers strategically around the world. Speaking of that, I must mention that today we (Christie, Nick, and I) met an older missionary couple who just picked up their things and left for Budapest to live and start Bible studies. We had a great conversation in front of Starbucks this morning. Loving how God so divinely places people!
In conclusion to this long and somewhat informal update... Vienna is all that you imagine it to be and more. It was such a beautiful weekend! Maybe some day I will visit again...

Just me.

Not sure what to post because I'm tired of just the itinerary version of my entries. I know that being out of the country and pretty much out of contact with most of you means a lot of updating and describing my adventures. There's so much to tell, and yet I easily get caught up in the "we did this and then we did that and it was really cool..." Yet what does that say about my heart? How am I doing aside from the day to day tourist stuff? What am I enjoying and what do I not like? Where is God in my writing and how has my time here been influenced by His purpose and will for me? So here's a piece of my heart right now, along with some of my favorite things to do in Prague...

If I'm not writing and if I'm not daily in the Word then my life becomes dry and my walk is stagnant. Suddenly I'm not aware of my purpose and the Spiritual revival I had hoped for is nonexistant. I get swamped with insecurities and doubts and frustrations to the point where I'm not sure how to pray even. Might seem drastic to you, but that's just how badly I need Jesus to feed me each day... without Him and His nourishment I am starved and the joy of living is sucked out of me. Sooo this is no way to live. Finally, after a few days of spiritual exhaustion because I hadn't been in the Word, I got the time I had been craving. Yesterday I wandered around Prague for a while by myself and, though I had no idea I was headed there, I wound up by my fav. coffee shop to sit and read. I was reading Brennan Manning's Wisdom of Tenderness (p.s. Manning is one of my favorite authors and if you haven't read him you should) and flipped open the last few chapters. Almost instantly I was brought to tears (doesn't happen all that often to me...) by the truth that I so was so desperately yearning for. The previous night, in desperation for purpose and direction and words from God, I prayed that God would just reveal truth to me. I didn't care if it was hard or easy to hear, I just wanted truth and Jesus. Yeah God's pretty good at responding to that, and as I read my book Jesus spoke and I broke. Finally. My stubborn shell cracked and I got to be embraced by my Savior and experience redemption as the cross calls us to. So needless to say, I sat in a coffeeshop in a foreign country and bawled while I sipped my iced mocha (or the European version of it) and ate my honey pie.

After my time in the coffee shop, I roamed around a little more and went to three parks before I found the bench I was looking for. I layed down and read a little bit of Jane Eyre (which I'm loving) and enjoyed the gardens and statues surrounding me. My eyes got tired so I changed locations and decided to switch to writing. This time I went to a grassy orchard (imagine Apple Orchard at Calvin Crest times 5 in size) overlooking the city of Prague. I sat on the grass and wrote about experiences and faith and things God's done in me the past year for about an hour. Ahh it was so great. I've learned to really enjoy writing and experimenting with different writing styles. Needless to say, it was amazing and I was able to experience the presence of God and be affirmed of His call and His sovereignty in my life. A much needed answer to prayer.

So here I am, and you now know a bit about where I am (though the nature of this blog limits depth... maybe more later, but for now that is all I will say). Here is what I love to do in Prague: walk around, sit in coffee shops and explore new ones, read and write in parks, speak to the strangers in my limited Czech as I walk by them on the streets (though they don't like to talk back much), eat ice cream, pray, listen to music and smile, have very deep and diverse conversations with Teddy (which happens a lot and I am so blessed that we both cherish those moments), learn about my self while talking to Teddy, and learn how to serve God and others in the mainstream of life... a slowpace life that I'm enjoying. Honestly I could sit in a park all day and read and write and be perfectly content with the day. Never in my life will I have the luxary of doing so without other obligations- so I'm living it up while I can. Don't worry, if you've been reading my bog you know that that's not all I've been doing, and in fact have yet a day to do so... I've been diligent in experiencing the city and exploring... but Prague is only so big, and the list of things to experience and do grows smaller.

Today Teddy and I went to the Jewish Quarters of town and had a cool history lesson on the Jewish faith as we explored the Old/New Synagogue and looked at the cemetary. I took a European Death and Dying class this past quarter and a European Jewry class the previous quarter. I love it when I get to see and experience things I learned about in class. yay for education! With that said, I will now go learn more about Czech history in the town that best represents Czech. Surreal.

Adios!
(p.s. I still speak Spanish all the time here even though it's absolutely unnecessary. "No se," "a la direcha," "gracias," "por que," "por favor," and "si" quite frequently come out of my mouth - even when speaking to a Czech person. Yeah, ummm cuz that makes a ton of sense)

Good Friends Great Times

Well Teddy and I woke up to do the happy dance on Monday morning (something to the effect of jumping up and down looking incredibly goofy) because our good friends Matt and Alana were coming to visit us! They arrived in cold and rainy Prague around 6pm Monday night and we went to our dorm to cook a Czech meal: Gulash, bread, potatoes, and beer. It was quite delicious and we spent the time catching up and talking about our travels for the past few weeks. Matt and Alana are big outdoors people, so we have many shared passions to appreciate. . After dinner we took an evening stroll through a park that over looks the city, then we hit the town and had drinks on the river... so much fun! We tried to order to most exotic drinks we could find, and their names will go unmentioned for now. We took turns trying all of them and just had a really great time being adventurous.

Tuesday was an extra exciting day and we affectionately titled the day "fantastic food day..." We woke up and immediately went to Prague Castle to spend about an hour being tourists. The architecture is incredible in Prague, and the stain glass windows inside the Castle's church were absolutely exquisite. After an extremely long walk from the castle to Old Town Square, Christie and I showed Matt and Alana our favorite cafe to eat breakfast and enjoy coffee (the same cafe we watched the thunderstorm from, and the same cafe I will return to today!). Our breakfast was great, the environment surreal, and the conversation even better. Christie and I had class right afterwards so we walked for another hour until we found our school (I thought I knew my way around...). Matt and Alana left to explore and Christie and I struggled to keep our eyes open as we learned about WWI . Interestingly enough, Czechs view the war differently than most of the West, and generally doesn't percieve the Versailles Treaty to be unjust toward the Germans. A new perspective and I was eager to listen... Well naturally we were quite hungry after class so we took our dear friends to another favorite, the Globe Bookstore Cafe (also written about earlier). Matt was on a mission to find the most Czech item on the menu, so he ordered glog- a hot rum with water, lime, and sugar. A bit strong for me, but Teddy and Matt liked it! Anyhow, lunch was great and we browsed the bookstore for some classics. I bought Jane Eyre because I need to read it according to Alana and Teddy :). Ok so after lunch, we hit up a library from the 11th century. Wow. Ancient texts on display, and a room full of stories, heritage, and history lined the shelves of the most beautiful library I have ever seen. Alana is an english major, and I know this was a highlight for her... so worth it to see. After the library, we went to change for mass. Grandma Roper, you will be proud! We went to 6:00 mass at a monastery built in the 11th Century. We've seen quite a few churches, but attending the service adds a whole new dynamic. Though mass was in Czech, we all thoroughly enjoyd the service. God is so big and so universal and so ancient. Incredible to know that mass is the same worldwide and has been practiced identically day in and day out for centuries. Mass ended and our we were again hungry so we decided to go all out for dinner. This meant a real Czech restaurant where the beer is cheaper than water, dumplings and fried potatoe croquettes were ordered, and we got screwed on our tab. The dinner was amazing, but we definately didn't pay the price on the menu. Boo. It didn't bother us for long, however, because the evening was young, and we, being our adventurous selves, went for a rowboat ride on the Vtalva River at dusk (which is quite late in Prague). We each had a turn rowing with the most ridiculous oars in the world. When it came to be my turn, well... hahaha.... yeah. So there was this red buoy (sp?) and my goal was to get us past it. Matt, however, kept making me laugh so hard that my stomach hurt and we managed to hit the buoy, drift away from it, let the buoy pass us, and eventually get past it. Teddy almost peed her pants and Alana was crying. I was paralyzed because I was laughing too hard and we kept drifting further and further from the buoy... in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, I let Teddy take the oars and we managed to get away from the red buoy :). Mom and dad, you will be happy to know that I redeemed myself with another chance at the oars and I did a much better job! Our boatride ended and we went for ice cream at Cream and Dream, the best Italian ice cream EVER. Soooo good. We were actually quite tired after ice cream and we ended the night early....

This morning (Wed) Teddy and I made American banana, strawberry, plain, and chocolate chip pancakes for our friends with orange juice and yogurt. A complete meal. Before our friends left, Matt... having witnessed my haircutting skills in action... decided it would be great to have a trim so I gave him a haircut in our 3x3 feet shower. Wait til you see the pictures. Though it wasn't a mohawk or mullet or transformation haircut, it was a decent trim and all were pleased with the outcome. (hmmm... my future calling?... jk). After the haircut and a parting gift of Czech wine, Alana and Matt were on their way to Vienna and then Venice. Sad to see them go, but it was great to have such good friends visit us in a foreign country. Mom, you're next ;).

Well that's the very very very thorough update on the past few days... I am now off to a cafe to read and write and do what I love to do. Miss you all and love you much. Bye bye (I actually don't know how to say that in Czech. That's terrible).

Having a Blast...

Ok so Christie and I are learning how to use the metro, the map, and learning street names. Now that we are comfortable with getting around town, we're taking Prague by storm. Here are some fun things we've done in the past few days...
Jazz Club: On Friday night, Christie, Nick (the other Christian in our group), and I went to a classy jazz club in Old Town Prague. The music was tremendous and the atmosphere was so neat! We tapped our feet while we sipped on our drinks. Good company and great music. The night was also a reminder that music is universal. During the jazz sets, we completely lost track of the fact that we were in a different country until the lead sax player spoke into the microphone. It was so surreal to hear him speak Czech. We giggled each time in the beginning because it was so unexpected! Music is a common demoninator for all people. Like a language with different accents and sounds, music speaks a language of variety within its universal character.

Brewery: Yes we visited a brewery of the most famous beer in the Czech Republic on Saturday- Pilsner. We toured through the brewery and saw how beer was made. In the end we got to sample the beer before it got filtered- literally right out of the barrel. Whenever I get my pictures online, you will see a picture of my face after trying it... umm it was gross. I suppose those who love beer would enjoy it- but it was way too bitter for me.

Massage: After our trip to the brewery, Christie and I decided we would treat ourselves to a Thai massage, so we went to Thaiworld and paid for the best hour long massage ever- oils and everything for only 34 dollars! It was amazing, and they even gave us tea afterwards! I've never gotten a massage before so it was a great experience!

Cream and Dream: Ice Cream. Gilatto. Amazing.... We decided to treat ourselves further with some of the best ice cream I've ever tasted. Normally I can put away 4 scoops of ice cream in a short time, but thi dainty serving is so delicious that I have to savor each lick. Soooooo good! We ate ice cream and walked on the cobblestone streets of Prague on a beautiful night... so great! (p.s.- this is right after our massage! double treat!)

Sunday: oh what a beautiful day. We slept in until 10:30 am, went on a beautiful run along the hills of Prague, and showered for what would be a glorious day. At around 2:00pm we finally made it to the cafe that is famous for its Czech pancakes (we hadn't eaten yet and were starving). Our pancakes were crepes, and I ordered the crepe with nuttela and bananas... and chocolate and whipped cream. Holy cow. It was soooo delicious! After eating and much oohing and aahing, Christie and I walked to another cafe :) that is famous for coffee. We sat down to this really cute cafe near Old Town Square and ordered lattes and spinach quiche. Our table was right next to a window with a pot of red roses that opened into the street. It was our intention to park there for a few hours with our books, journals, Bibles, and CD players (p.s. today is my 1 year anniversary of singleness so I wanted to reflect on the past year and the drastic changes that have taken place in my life since July10, 2004... it's been an incredible year, that's for sure). Well, during our visit to the cafe, a ginormous thunderstorm struck Prague. It was the coolest experience ever! Christie and i just turned our chairs and stared out the window (which we closed) and watch the rain turn to a downpour, to hail, to lightening, and to massiv thunder. Aaaah the power of God. I love how God loves to amaze us!!! Needless to say, we were quite content to stay in the cafe for a while (we also forgot umbrellas and any source of warmth)... and that meant we should eat again. We ordered tea and dessert! Hehe what an eating day! I had carrot cake and Christie had Czech honey pie that tasted like a honey graham cracker cake that was quite delicious! After the sun came out and we finished a great conversation about life, its challenges, God, relationships , and hopes.... it was time to walk back home. We managed to find our way back to the tram and we planned the next few days of more excitement... Matt and Alana (our good friends) are coming to visit for the next few days and we are really excited!!!! Hooray!

Well there's more to come, but I'm sitting in an internet cafe right now that is quite expensive and I must go. Much love!!!

Trip to Terezin

Today we went to Terezin, a ghetto/concentration camp from WWII. Before I give you my personal report on the trip- here are a few quick facts on Terezin:
- Originally built as a fortress in the 18th century
- the entire city, built for 7,000 originally, served as a ghetto for the Jews while they were being deported during the war.
- it was not an extermination camp, but served as the intermitent place before the prisoners were deported to Auschwitz or other death camps.
- the camp was self-governed by Jews... under the Gestapo's orders, the Jews themselves had to pick and choose who would be on the next train- sick.
- Though built for 7,000... Terezin at one point held 58,000 prisoners
- most died after deportion
- The Gestapo used a propoganda film of Terezin to dispell rumors that Jews were being executed at concentration camps. For this film, they "beautified" the streets, installed programs and entertainment, used Jewish actors and producers- then they killed them.
There's probably more that I'm missing, but that gives you a quick idea of the place we went to. The entire city served as the ghetto, but the prison served as the concentration camp... and we toured both. Here are some of my thoughts that I jotted down as soon as I got back to my dorm. It's rough, but you get the idea...

Trip To Terezin

As I walked through the stark empty cells on the cold cement floors, I could sense their desolate, fatigued, and hollow faces staring at me. Their eyes pierced me. The conditions I imagined them in couldn't even come close to the real thing. They had been packed into their bunks like animals- their humanity ripped from them. These prisoners were artists, musicians, writers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, rabbis, producers, moms, dads, grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, children, cousins, and friends. There was no difference between me and them. I saw their work- evidence of the vibrant life that once was. The paintings spoke their story and evoked emotion into the still frame. The music played beautifully and was masterfully composed. The writing was real and tangible. Such talent! The prisoners of Terezin left their mark on the world. Though each person was a number of the 6 million, they all left something that was more than what appeared on their tattooed wrist.

I learned something from my trip to Terezin. The stone walls, brick buildings, tunnels, gallows, rusty facilities, muddy ground, and the German inscription of "work shall set you free" on the entrance to the camp caused me to sense the life, death, deception, truth, and hope that existed in this place. Yet it wasn't the building structure and the vision of the starving bodies huddled around one another that spoke to me... It was the paintings and the music that reached out and grabbed my soul. You see, they lived. They lived passionate lives and desperately poured their talents into as many masterpieces as possible during their last few days. They lived abundantly in circumstances that no human should endure. Teachers devoted their energy to children, doctors and nurses rushed to the aid of their sick neighbor, businessmen contributed financial knowledge to those whose families had not been deported, rabbi offered comfort, and the painters painted, the musicians made music, and the writers wrote. Until they could no more, the prisoners of Terezin lived.

-I write much of this because I am a firm believer that one of the greatest ways to worship God is to live life abundantly and passionately... and do it while loving God and loving people. There can be much learned from the oppressed, the dying, the unfortunate... Blessed (happy, honored) are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted... for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven...

I want to live... to dance... to make music... to write... and to worship.

I found a great place!

If you are from Westwood or if you remember my post a few months earlier on the Novel Cafe, you will appreciate the fact that I found my very own Novel in Prague! It serves as a coffee shop, restaurant, bookstore, and bar. Many aspiring writers come here to write and enjoy the atmosphere. Wow I'm loving this! Though it is somewhat Americanized, it is a comfort that is sometimes necessary when living in a foreign land. Still, the food is amazing and the coffee is quite European. Must get back to studying but I thought I'd share about a gem in the heart of Prague. Ok, there's alot of gems. I'll be honest. :)

Hopefully pictures to come...

Blessed by a cup of goodness...

On a rainy day in Prague, after being rejected from the art and architecture class (we tried to crash the course and failed), we strolled up the slick, wet cobblestone streets to a luxurious cafe called Cafe & Choco. The Sound of Music instrumental soundtrack played softly in the background as we were seated to a two person table nestled in the corner of the room underneath a glass roof (which was amazing considering it was raining and we could watch the rainfall above our heads). Our clothes were soaked but the waitress greeted us with a smile nonetheless. She spoke beautiful broken english and graciously handed us the menus. We were looking for a hot drink so Christie ordered the chocolate and rum while I chose the chocolate amaretto. Expecting a flavored coffee drink, Christie and I were surprised to taste nearly pure alcohol, a hint of chocolate, and whipped cream in the first sip. After a quick stir, we discovered that we had in fact ordered hot drinking chocolate (a million times better than chantico) spiked with sweet liquor. It was delightful. As the chocolate cooled, it thickened into a thick, rich cup of melted chocolate. Not too rich though, it was just perfect. I also ordered a fresh fruit salad with a delightful assortment of fruits. The fruit was cut into bite size pieces and I dipped a strawberry into my cooling chocolate drink. Pure bliss. Grace in the midst of a rainy day took form in a beautiful cafe in Prague with delightful treats in a setting that no place could duplicate. We thanked God for what He provided and enjoyed our time in the cafe by having good conversation, writing, and oohing and aahing about how cool it was. I had asked this morning that God would put me in a state of praise... praise that was not forced but that just came because the Holy Spirit had spurred me to worship God. He's good. Yup. Pretty dang amazing I must say! Peace to you all from Prague! Much love...

Lots to tell...

The past few days have been a whirlwind and I feel like I am finally settling in. My homesickness has ceased as Prague becomes my temporary home. I am learning the routine of daily life and soon I will know my way around the city. Today was the first day of school, and it felt nice to be in a setting I am familiar with- school. After a very busy weekend of traveling it's time to explore Prague. Before I give you my first impressions of Prague, let me first recap a bit on my weekend...

Saturday: we drove about an hour through the most amazing countryside/forest road I have ever seen to the national park in Moravia. The view was stunning. It's funny because Christie and I both noted that ancient architecture is incredible and the churches we have visited have been awesome, but nothing can take our breath away like God's creation. Pure and simple. When one thinks of the Czech Republic, one doesn't often think of the forest or beautiful countryside that surrounds the cities... but I must say that the beauty I found myself surrounded by on Saturday was the highlight of my weekend. After our trip to the caves, we went to a family-owned wine cellar and had a fantastic dinner followed by some wine tasting. The scene was lovely. For our listening pleasure, a Czech string quartet (well something like that) played during dinner and we enjoyed an assortment of wines. We tasted 7 wines... I think they were supposed to be really good, and I truly wish I enjoyed the taste of wine- but I'm not there yet and I only liked two of the wines. We were able to purchase some for only 2 dollars each in American money, and I lovingly bought a bottle of both red and white wine for my parents... um but one of them broke so you only get white wine - sorry mom and dad.

Sunday: Most of us were exhausted but we endured the stops at a battlefield and the place where Mendel grew his peas (remember biology and genetics?). We saw some statues. We were tired. It was time to go home. Once we got home, however, Christie and two other girls and I decided we needed to familiarize ourselves with Prague since we hadn't even seen the town all that much. We took the metro to our school and took a lovely stroll on the Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge needs to be an entire entry all its own, it wouldn't do it justice to squeeze it into this already extensive blog. Basically, it's amazing. Yep. More on that later for sure. We ate at a really great Chinese cafe and ate ice cream. Then we walked back to our dorm and called it a night. All in all, pretty great.

Monday: Happy 4th! In honor of the fact that it is the 4th of July, I thought it would be appropriate to try my first beer ever in the land that is famous for its beer. So I ordered beer at a restaurant. Wierd. Umm well, it tasted ok. I'm sorry this is a let down for those of you who don't still have a couple months until the 21st birthday, but I didn't like it all that much. I feel as if that is blasphemous here, but I'll be honest- it's a taste I haven't acquired. Many people love the beer here though. After the beer (oh we had class today also. it was sort of boring and long) we went to the grocery market. Funny story: I got asked out by a black grocery clerk who spoke spanish. We conversed in Spanish because that was the language most common to us. It was just crazy! He asked if I had "tiempo para discoteca" Hahaha! I nervously laughed and said "lo siento pero gracias no" or something to that effect. Well, the awkwardness continues even in foreign countries. Aside from that, I stocked up on pb&j for cheap lunch and dinners.

One last thing... since my arrival to Prague, I have not yet discovered any coffee shops with the coffee I like. Yes I am not only a coffee snob, but also a coffee fluf drinker. I prefer a nonfat caramel macchiato or mocha to the latte or espresso (I know.. spoiled American baby written all over that, but I'm sorry it's just me). However. This is not the case in Prague (As of yet). Every coffee shop has a bar attached to it, and very rarely are flavored drinks served. Today I found a coffee shop that sold an iced mocha with whip cream. When I asked for skim milk, the barista looked at me like I was nuts and handed me a drink overflowing with whip cream and whole milk. It was pretty dang good though, I must say... more on coffee later as I explore the hot places in Prague. Not a Starbucks in sight (it's for the best I know)....

Ok so there is the very long update... I won't be updating like this everyday, but I thought the past few days were important so I typed them up in itinerary form. Next time I will just write about important things and sights and smells...
Blog entries to come:
Charles Bridge
What God is teaching me, doing in me, and doing through me
Christie and Annie prayer sessions/adventures
Food & Drink
People in my program
Observed Culture
Religious life
Consumerism in Prague v. America
and more... I just haven't thought that far yet because I'm still barely a week into the program.
Missing you all and loving you much...

ps. Check out my link to Christie Tedmon's xanga, she has great things to say and fills in a lot where I leave out. She's terrific.

Anishka is my name

Our tour guide/activities director is an older gentlemen who is extremely learned in history, art, architecture, and very fluent in english. He is very sweet and bought six of us American girls a great dessert today. He calls me "Anishka" because that is Czech for "Anne." He is endearing and quite a great addition to our program. In the coming 5 weeks He will lead us on many walks through Prague and surrounding countries. His soft blue eyes speak of a tender heart and a sweet spirit. I'm glad to have met him. His name sounds like "Svenya" but I have no clue how to spell it...

Today we visited the country of Moravia and three churches. The churches were built in the 14th and 17th centuries.The architecture was astounding... absolutely incredible. You could sense the piety of the worshipers that would have attended and I wondered what their faith was like. Perhaps even more impressive was the countryside drive that we took to get to Moravia. I have never seen such gorgeous rolling green hills with medieval farms, haybails, daisy fields, quaint villages, ancient towns that still thrive in their original architecture, and lovely cottages and homes with flowers on the window sills. I get so excited when I see any building with flowers on the window sills. Usually they involve vibrant red flowers contrasting with creme or yellow walls. Christie said she knows what she is getting me for my housewarming gift whenever I get a home :) She enjoys my excitement of the flowers. Don't worry, I've taken several pictures - I just can't download them yet.

The people in my program are very friendly, I'm excited to get to know their stories and their hearts. A group of girls went to dinner tonight and had the best margherita pizza I have ever had. The crust was incredible... so thin and delicious! I had 5 slices and two scoops of gilatto ice cream. Yep, some things never change! :) Anyhow, it's good to meet people and share meals with them. Well, that's my update for today! I'm not sure that I will update everyday, but the internet cafe is next door to the hotel and it seemed like the appropriate thing to do! :) Much love to you all in the states! Oh... not sure why the formatting is so funky on my page. Can anyone help me fix it? Sorry it's so annoying! Ok that's all... nashlednaou (good bye)